Minister Of SOEs Calls Need Funds Rp40 Trillion To Care For National Food Reserves

SOE Minister Erick Thohir (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir said IDR 40 trillion was needed to control national food reserves.

As is known, state-owned companies are being prepared to control national food reserves.

In this case, PT RNI (ID Food) will act as offtaker according to the market mechanism, while Bulog will be the stabilizer.

Erick said, the need for funds for Bulog was in the range of Rp. 20 trillion to Rp. 24 trillion, while PT RNI needed Rp. 16 trillion to become an offtaker.

"We have proposed placing offtaker funds to stay in Himbara. However, we must continue to be responsible, in other words this is not money lost," he said in a meeting with Commission VI of the DPR in Jakarta, Monday, February 13.

Therefore, Erick asked for support from Commission VI of the DPR so that the two state-owned companies could get the funding needed.

Erick also admitted that he had discussed with the Governor of Bank Indonesia (BI) regarding the same matter.

For your information, the decision of the food SOE as an offtaker is the result of a limited coordination meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

The reason is, according to Erick, if Bulog, who is assigned as an offtaker, will find it difficult to get financing from commercial banking.

"We hope for support, I have met with the Governor of BI. We also don't want to violate the BI Law because I don't know whether BI can help with funding or not, but we ask for cheap funding support as offtakers," he said.

Previously, the Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Presetyo Adi revealed that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) ordered the integration of food SOEs to become offtakers or absorb production products in the community.

This was conveyed by Arief after holding a meeting with President Jokowi at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, today, Monday, February 6.

Following up on the order, Arief said that the revision of a number of regulations and low-cost funding mechanisms was prepared so that there would be no more prices for food commodities at the farmer level.

"The President's target is to convey that in the past two weeks we will return with a draft regulation that has been prepared," said Arief.

For increased absorption at the BUMN food level, of course, funding is needed.

Related to this, said Arief, President Jokowi and Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani will discuss this matter.

"The point is to give a budget, so there are two budgets. The first is the APBN, the other is the funding for cheap funds from Himbara," he said.

According to Arief, synchronization with Himbara and the Minister of Finance is needed.

"Of course this is a scheme if the term is the Minister of Finance, low-cost funds. It means that there is a low rate. Now, this needs to be synchronized with Himbara Bank and the Minister of Finance," he explained.